Your Only Hope – Part 5

4:35 Lord, that your truth, your eternal truth, would pierce our hearts and bring more light. Lord, if there's doubts, that you would answer them for us. Lord, if there's unbelief, that you would just, Lord, convince and persuade. Father, maybe for most of us in this gathering, this is a time for us to do exactly what we read a moment ago, to rejoice. Be that as it may, Lord, we just invite you to be here powerfully. We pray in Jesus' name and all God's people said, amen. You may be seated, everybody. And this Passion Week obviously comes to the grand conclusion of Resurrection Sunday. And I'm so excited, by the way. I'm so excited.

5:26 I've been mentioning, and just because there's been so much on my mind, I've been mentioning so much the astronauts in space this week, and they're heading to the moon. Since we met on Friday, they're a lot closer to the moon, but they're still very far away from the moon. But I didn't get a chance. I wanted to play it. I didn't do it. But we were hoping that the commander of the space mission would say something about his faith in Jesus. He did announce right before he was catapulted out with the three other team members on Artemis to the moon. That he said, if you're going to the moon or if you're on earth, everybody needs Jesus. and uh and what's great is he's the commander so you can't disagree with him he'll throw you out of the spaceship but um hallelujah um on their way to the moon uh he wound up giving a a resurrection message this morning from from the spaceship and um and that is great isn't that great and i was so delighted because after after sunrise service this morning uh his cousin was here with a bunch of their kids. And I got to meet the family members of this brave astronaut that is out there in space.

6:47 And we told them, you tell your cousin when he gets back, we want him here on stage. We want him to speak to us. But wow, born and raised in Pomona and now living in Houston. But that is just super great. And we're excited about all of that. We've been looking at the theme, Your Only Hope. And remember now, I've been stressing your only hope. Oh no, our only hope. No, no, it's not that. It's a statement of fact. It's not like, oh, it's been reduced now. This is our only hope. Listen, no way. Our only hope has always been Jesus and no one else but Jesus. That's what the Bible teaches. You may or may not be feeling that, but the fact of the matter is, that is the eternal truth. The Old Testament and New Testament speaks of one person and one person being the epicenter of the scriptures, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Savior, the one who the Bible says is the eternal God made manifest to us in this world, sent to us in flesh and bone. That is the gospel message. And all of this, as we learned on Good Friday, Jesus said, for this reason, I came into the world. And that was to go to the cross. But hallelujah, church, it's not only the cross. Yes, Jesus died on the cross for our sins, but Sunday, as the good old pastors down south say, it may be Friday, but Sundays are coming.

8:24 and that was the best I can do but that's the whole point we know all about Friday he died on the cross for our sins that's a huge theological statement and achievement Jesus died before man and God to be our mediator upon him the Bible says God the Father laid all of our sins I want you to think about that for a moment it couldn't have been a good man that was dying on the cross for your sins and mine 2,000 years ago wouldn't make any sense it was God dying on the cross for us and the person of Jesus Christ the second person of the holy trinity God the son and the reason and the way that God does that is through Christ the lamb of God the bible says who takes away the sins of the world but watch this everybody. It's not only that, but it's this. Jesus died on the cross. Only God could do that.

9:23 But he had an appointment also to empty the tomb on Sunday morning. And that said, when God died on the cross, he died for you personally. You may or may not believe that, but it's my intention today to get you to believe that because it's the truth. The problem I'm fighting is the problem that I fought when I heard this message the first time is why would God love me? Who am I? And that's the whole point. It is the whole point to all of this.

9:56 When you read the lives of those in the Gospels who Jesus hung out with, you gotta admit everybody, if you've read your Bible, you would not have picked those people to hang out with. Peter was a bombastic, foot in the mouth kind of a guy. Always kind of take charge in the lead, stumbling over everything. The Bible tells us often that Peter would say things not knowing what he should say. That's like picking up your gun and holding it, shooting, and then deciding to aim. But the whole group was an interesting group of people. We talked about them on Friday. But now we come to this resurrection Sunday morning, and what does it really mean to all of us as we study it today. And even though we read that account of the resurrection, the real text of our study today is found in John chapter 14. I'll read it to you and we'll springboard from here. And it is this, this, all the letters that you're reading here, these are all words of Jesus Christ himself recorded here in scripture. Jesus said, let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions, places to dwell, dwelling places.

11:11 If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am there, you may be also. I tell you, that's great news. And where I go, you know, and the way you know, but Thomas, he's the doubter. By the way, Thomas, anybody remember the other label that's applied to Titus? It's not his last name. But another part of the gospel, it says Thomas Didymus. And it means the twin. Thomas the twin. Thomas had a twin brother. We don't know who, where, we don't know anything about him. But it's funny that the Greek word is Didymus. and Thomas, did he miss what Jesus was saying?

12:08 He's always doubting everything. It's like Peter's like, what's wrong with you? Did you miss what he just said? Thomas is always doubting. But wait a minute, I like Thomas. We get a lot of insights from God because of Thomas. At his expense, we learn a lot. That's okay. Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you're going. And how can we know the way? We are so grateful for that question from that doubter. Because why? Verse six is our study today on this resurrection day. Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through me. Without Thomas saying what he said, we may have never known this aspect. We may have found out later in heaven because this is one of those immutable descriptions of who God is. God is the way, the truth, and the life.

13:11 Now, let me offend everybody in the crowd right here, right now, from the get-go. When Jesus said, I am the way, and we'll study this, the way, the way, the truth, the life, each of those descriptions and attributes of who he is is preempted by the definite article the. He didn't say that he is a way, a life, a truth. No, no, no, no, no. Jesus Christ himself said that he is the, which means this, everyone, all other attempts to get to the Father in heaven will fail you, says Jesus. I'm going to let that settle in for a second. Well, pastor, what you don't know is I was baptized in special water. You're not going to heaven based upon Jesus' words.

14:08 Well, I'm going to heaven because I'm a lifelong member of the first Baptocostal church of California. Not going. You might say today, well, I am the most upstanding citizen of my community. not going that's not the criteria that economy doesn't work with God that's like going I don't know that's like going to some country and using the wrong currency it won't work you cannot say today Lord let me into heaven I read the Bible I saw all that stuff but I'm a really good guy not going to work Jesus said I am the way the truth the life and no one comes to the father but through me what a tremendous statement that is and so number one if we mark it down together it's this Jesus Christ is the way so what do I mean by the way I found out just this week you know uh people have been talking about it's kind of sad to be honest with you um people have been debating should we be going back to the moon. And you know, scientists tell us that our country has had about a 50-year setback in scientific discovery since we stopped doing space exploration. I don't know what you think about that, but did you know that the other nations have been trying to get to the moon while we've been saying we shouldn't go there again? Now look, I'm not here to upset you, But I'll prove my point this way.

15:49 I didn't realize until I read this week all of the things that came out of us going to the moon in the first place. For one thing, have you ever heard of something called GPS? You can't live without GPS now. And even when my GPS isn't working, I have my wife. She fills in for GPS. And she says, turn left, turn right. now my wife is way better looking than GPS but do you hear what I'm saying GPS we all love GPS and it was crazy because this article began to break down all the benefits because the argument that they were making was people are crying about going back to the moon about how worthless it is and then they began to look at all the medical advances and all of the stuff that happened regarding technologies and mapping and deep deep ocean discovery because we went to the moon wow and now we're going back and they're saying that the discoveries are now just going to go so much faster because of the time in which we live in now the point is this that you and I now know our way far better because someone went to the moon Jesus Christ announced to us and he said I am the way the way to heaven you cannot plot that course you cannot get GPS for that course, you cannot in any other way pull out a map and say, this is how I'm going to go to heaven.

17:21 Even the astronauts as they're being hurled out into space right now. Can you imagine? We have on our staff a young man who, with all of his genius, wound up leaving SpaceX and all of that world because he wants to minister. And he knows all about rocket stuff. And he was describing to me on Friday, how that solid fuel rocket burns. And I understood half of what he said, but what he did say was awesome. But the bottom line, and I thought about it, I thought about saying this today, at the top of that candlestick were four people hanging on to an experiment that lit beneath them was this solid fuel rocket that is burning fuel at these temperatures and a rate that the flame starts at the bottom, they hit ignition, and it burns from the bottom up. It's burning toward you as you're sitting in that spaceship. You're just hanging on. You're one of the four, and you're like, and they go, three, two, one, strike the match, and you're hanging on. Those astronauts did not get out into space by their own effort. Are you hearing me? The rocket propulsion system got them out there.

18:36 When Jesus says, I am the way, how do you think you're going to get to heaven? What church or what group or what movement are you going to join to get to heaven? I think you know the answer. There is no group. Jesus Christ alone is the way. And when the Bible says that he's the way, and when he says of himself that he is the way, he is excluding all other paths. There are no other ways. Boy, isn't that, I mean, think about how narrow-minded that is. Why, you Christians, you're so narrow-minded people. We're not narrow-minded people. We have come to understand that Jesus Christ is the only way. We don't make that up. The Bible's very clear on this. Well, I interpret it differently. Well, you're going to go some other way then. Your guidance system's off. You may be strapped to a rocket, but you don't have a compass, friend.

19:32 A lot of people say today, I'm going to do it my way. My way is best. I get a little nervous about that the Bible tells us that God is desiring to lead you, lead me in life. Did you know that? The very God who rose from the dead is the God who says, I'll lead you and I'll guide you. Just let me lead.

19:57 Now, I don't know who does this kind of stuff, but according to statistics, women find it much more easier to follow God on a daily basis than men. I take that personal. I think that's kind of a sexist statement. I'm highly offended by that. I'm joking. It doesn't offend me at all. I think it's all true. I think women have a tendency to listen to God's direction better.

20:21 Men, we try to tell God how to do it. God, now, I want you to consider my way, but we'll call it your way in the end, but I'd appreciate you listening to me. And right from then and there, I think God stops listening to Jack. He has his way. and when Jesus said in fact I'll put the verse up this way I'm going to put up verse 1 and 6 together and it does no harm to the theology of this passage Jesus said let not your heart be troubled earthquake, seismic, shaken don't be upset you believe in God believe also in me why? because I am the way no one comes to the Father but through me, the way I'm a big fan of reading and I know it's not popular to say his name anymore because of wokeness but because of wokeness I'm going to say it and that is in fact this man that I'm going to mention there's more statues of this man in America than George Washington over 600 statues of this man in America's city centers and that man's name is Christopher Columbus and you've ever read his books that he wrote, which you ought to read, you'll find out that the Christopher Columbus that CNN is telling you about is not the guy that happened in history. Now that guy had problems. Don't get me wrong. The wealth and the achievement and the fame that he experienced after his achievements went to his head. But when you talk about raping and pillaging the islands of the Caribbean, you're looking to the wrong guy. You need to look to the other captains of those other ships, because those are the ones who did it in Columbus's name.

22:09 Christopher Columbus found out that there was a way to the new world because his mom and dad had taught him. Did you know that? Do you know why his name, they named him Christopher? That's right. Christopher Columbus's mom and dad said they had a vision and the vision they said was from God and that their son's name was to be Christopher, which means Christ bearer, the one who takes Christ. And everywhere you see, in fact, even in our nation's capital in Washington, D.C., in the rotunda, there's a huge oil painting there of Christopher Columbus stepping foot under the new world and doing what he did at every stop, and that is they erected a giant cross, and they proclaimed this land in the name of Jesus Christ. Christopher Columbus was he perfect?

23:00 he was about as perfect as you and I but he had a understanding that he had a mission given to him in life his parents taught him that and so in reading the Bible he reads the book of Proverbs to discover that God has put a path in the way of the seas they're called currents and Christopher Columbus figured that out Christopher Columbus also believed that the heavens declared the glory of God and nobody was a greater navigator in his day than the man Christopher Columbus. He followed the creation of God into a new world. And I want you to think about, as the Bible does say, the heavens declare the glory of God. Notice, the heavens declare the glory of God.

23:48 God is the way. The Old Testament tells us that the Lord is the Savior. The Lord is the King. The Lord is our Redeemer. The Lord is our justice. He is the way. And when we talk about way, this is shocking because when Jesus 2,000 years ago said, I am the way, you got to remember folks, he said this in front of over 360 different gods that prevailed in the ancient world. Now my family on my mom's side prevails from the Polynesian culture where they have nearly a thousand gods in that world. Jesus said, I'm the way. And the moment he said that, he put all other gods and demigods on notice. We read that, oh, how awesome. Jesus is the way. Yeah, how awesome. Now, you say this 2,000 years ago, and you just upset the cart of the Greco-Roman Empire.

24:45 The Caesars believed they were gods on earth. And Jesus says, I am the way. No wonder why either people loved him or hated him. But when he said the way, he put all ancient religions on notice. I think we need that today, to be honest with you. Think about it. We've got this humanistic way of thinking. if you're just sincere, whatever you think or feel, go with it. Jesus says, no, no, no, no, no. I am singularly the way. In John chapter 10, look at this. John chapter 10, the Bible tells us, most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, Jesus is the door, but climbs up some other way, the same as a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens. Some have referenced the doorkeeper as a reference to the Holy Spirit, be that as it may. To him the doorkeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them and the sheep follow him for they know his voice. Listen everybody, this is critical, yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. Verse 6, Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which he spoke to them. Jesus is announcing, I am the doorway, and I am the shepherd, and my sheep know my voice, and I know theirs, and they will follow me. And oh, by the way, a stranger, strange doctrine, they're not going to follow.

26:33 That's powerful. Jesus says that he leads the way. Is that true? You don't have to answer out loud. Ask yourself personally, those of us who know Christ, has he led the way in your life? Think about your life since you've come to Christ. What has gone on since then? After last service, I was out there in the courtyard saying to the new believers, just watch what God does to your life. I walked a few feet over and I got to another group and I said, just watch what God does to your life or with your life. And you know, I say that because it's true. When I came to Jesus Christ in 1977, I didn't feel a thing. I mean, I knew I was in trouble by the message that was being preached. I was guilty and I needed Christ as my savior. But when I went forward, I didn't feel goosebumps. Everybody around me was weeping up there. I wasn't weeping. I'm looking at everybody else thinking, it's not working. It's not working. What's wrong with me? And I didn't have any emotion except I was in trouble that I had offended God with my lifestyle. And I prayed to accept Christ, still didn't feel anything.

27:39 And then I was driving home and I had a thought. I don't remember what the thought was. I just remember my reaction to the thought. My thought was this, what was that? I don't think like that. What's going on here? And I can tell you, friend, right now from that moment, from June 20th, 1977, God has placed an internal guidance system within my life, that is the Holy Spirit that we call him, and he leads and guides. My big problem is when I get out, out in front of him, I mess it all up. It's always best, friend, to be led through this life with Jesus leading the way. And on this resurrection morning, Jesus Christ led the way out of the tomb. Listen to this. I have to give credit where credit's due. I was listening the other day to our good friend, Dr. Erwin Lutzer, and this is the cutest thing ever, and I didn't know this, but according to what he was saying, and if it's wrong, thousands of you write him letters and tell him he was wrong.

28:42 Erwin Lutzer said that a possum you know what a possum a possum makes its den in the ground but it always makes its den in the hole of what some other animal has dug but did you know that who knows this a possumologist I don't know but the possum will not go into a hole that doesn't have footsteps of the animal that lived in it coming out Now how does, first of all, who knows this stuff? Excuse me, Mr. Possum, how did you know to pick that? But let's say it's true. In God's creative universe, I wouldn't doubt it. So the possum goes into a hole that only has footsteps going in, will not go into a hole that has footsteps coming. Sorry, reverse that.

29:37 Only goes in because there's footsteps of things that have gone out. So that's how he knows. So why would you believe in a religion that doesn't have the way? where there's a tomb, as it were, there's a hole in the ground, and there's footsteps that go in, but none come out.

29:58 If none comes out, then whatever animal's in the hole is still in the hole. Alive or dead, it's still in the hole. But Jesus was buried in the tomb, and he was dead. But on the third day, today in history, there's footsteps leading out. Think about it, he came out. In fact, let's talk about that for a moment. The angel says, the Bible, roll back the stone. I love that. He says, oh, so the angel had to roll back the stone so Jesus could get out? No, it doesn't say that. The Bible says the angel rolled back the stone so we could go in. Jesus was already gone before the angel rolled the stone away. And then he sat on it like a sass. Can you imagine? Your little toothpick. what are you doing? What's happened here? And the angel responds, why are you looking for the living among the dead? He's not here. He's risen just as he told you.

30:57 Man, that's an amazing moment. Angels have got, they had to laugh at that moment, kind of a little bit of a chuckle. One angel sitting on a stone, rolling it back so Peter and John and Mary and the others could look inside. And what did they do? They looked inside. They found nothing. Why? Because Jesus had come out.

31:19 Hallelujah today. That tomb has been empty for 2,000 years. It's still empty. I hope the one that you believe in has the power to empty out a tomb. There's only one, and he is the way. And many times in life, before we go to our next point on this, many times in life we don't understand that there's a way for us to travel.

31:48 We also learn this. Revelation chapter 12, verse 11. The Bible tells us of those in heaven, and they overcame him by the blood of the lamb. How do you get to heaven? By the way. Who is the way? The lamb is the way. Jesus is the way. And when you read that section of the book of Revelation, they're rejoicing because they followed the lamb of God all the way to heaven. Jesus' first words to his disciples was what? Come and follow me. Because he's the way. And then in Matthew chapter 20, verse 28, look at this. The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. The word ransom, we don't see that word often, but it means that Jesus Christ came to pay what was hanging over your head by your enemy.

32:45 You have been kidnapped. Are you guys listening? You guys have been kidnapped by sin, and Satan uses that against you. And the Bible says Satan is always accusing you before God about how bad you are. Did you know that? The Bible says he's before God day and night accusing us. Isn't that something? So why does God allow that? Don't worry. Read the rest of the Bible. It turns out really good for you.

33:14 In fact, all that accusation falls right back on Satan's face. That's going to be a great moment. I want to make sure you want to capture that on film, on camera when you do that. He's going to be in a lot of trouble. In the meantime, he's accusing you of all the things that you fell short in, sinned in, did, didn't do, that you were supposed to do. Satan's pointing, pointing, pointing, arguing.

33:38 And the Bible tells us that the blood of Jesus Christ washes away all of our sins because he is the way. and that he ransomed. He gave himself so that you and I could go free. He paid the ransom, but the ransom he paid was kind of, you know, in a way, listen, in a way,

34:04 you know, we're saved by his blood. the blood of the perfect man. God came in the body of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of the world, the second person of the Holy Trinity, and Satan's thinking that if I bleed this one out and he dies, I win. I mentioned on Friday that I'm sure Satan thought that Friday when Christ was crucified that he had won.

34:36 But it was the very blood that Satan thought that he needed to spill to take Jesus' life was the very ransom to set you and I free. The blood price was paid. The most precious thing of all, blood. It wasn't money. It wasn't time. It wasn't anything else but blood. Isaiah chapter 35 verse 8 tells us, A highway shall be there, looking to the future, a road, and it shall be called the highway of holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray. That's a great word. The word means even if a really slow, dense person chooses to get on the way of God, he'll do just fine. Isn't that amazing? I thank God for that.

35:27 We don't all have to be as smart as Elon Musk or Einstein to get to heaven. You might even be considered a fool. Maybe you have your life, you make the wrong decisions every time. Guess what? Newsflash. You can start making the right decision by determining today that Jesus is going to be the way of your life. And everything changes after that. Everything changes. Number two is this. Our only hope is this fact, that Jesus is the truth.

35:58 Jesus is the truth. Jesus gives us a statement here of fact for you and I to investigate. I love this part. Listen to this truth. Everybody's debating truth. It's supposed to be debated. Truth's fantastic. And you know, truth has always been under attack. Always. From the Garden of Eden, truth has been under attack. God speaks the truth. Adam and Eve have their own idea. That's not true. And it's been a mess ever since. Jesus came to reverse that entire process. Truth. All truth that is in fact truth belongs to God. All truth comes from God. The reason why you're quiet right now is because you get a little uncomfortable when you hear the word truth because whose truth are we talking about? Friends, there is no other truth we're talking about. But you and I have fallen victim to the rhetoric of our age where Oprah's got her truth and you've got yours and I've got mine and that's their truth and he's the other one.

36:58 Do that according to your own truth. Ladies and gentlemen, this is coming even from educated people. But nothing in reality works that way. You cannot do anything on your own truth. Again, getting back to the astronauts, can you imagine if they got in that capsule and they're doing a 30-second countdown where everything goes internal? That means this baby's going. If you like it or not, we're going. And one of the astronauts said, man, I hope all this stuff works because I just worked out all those equations based upon my truth. Man, I would have pressed the escape button. I saw somebody drive up this morning in a very, very nice Mercedes-Benz. Good for them.

37:43 One thing I know, they have a nice Mercedes-Benz, but their truth didn't make it. You pay whatever you pay for a Mercedes-Benz because Mr. Mercedes and Mr. Benz started a company of exactness. Right? Einstein says people struggle with God like they struggle with math because math is perfect. Did you know that? Einstein didn't invent math. God did. And God invented you. And you have an absolute purpose. And for so many of us, we've lived a life that has not been grounded in the truth. We have been going off of feelings. Will I feel this? Will I feel the other thing? But what happens when you feel different next week? making commitments. Did you know making a commitment is based on truth, not feeling?

38:36 I'm not disparaging feeling. Feelings are fine, but they need to be governed by truth. and somebody might say well this is true for me now I don't hear much about this anymore but maybe it's because I'm old and I'm hard of hearing but there was a time back in the day when people would say in universities well you just live your truth and I'll live mine you know if you do say that if you do believe that then you do know right if you follow that logic all the way through if you can live your truth and I can live my truth then what's true for you is your truth that what's true for me is my truth, which means this. The Bible warned us and said, in the end times, as it has always been when God is absent from a culture, every man will do what's right in his own eyes. Do you know what that means?

39:29 Do your own truth. So what if my truth is to take your home, your car, your family, in fact, I murder you and insert myself into your world because that's my truth. You say, that's terrible. You can't tell me that. Because if you say it's terrible, that's only your truth. I'm living my truth. Are you hearing me? People, in the old days, it was called situational ethics or humanism. It's never worked.

40:00 So why would we think it works regarding religion and faith and salvation and eternal life? Jesus says, I am the way. I am the truth. Jesus, the most controversial name that there'll ever be. Of course, controversial. People don't want to hear that he's the only truth, and yet he is. By the way, when he said that back in his ancient world, that immediately put all worldviews on notice. I am the way, I am the truth. That great warning, remarkable. Look at the Greek word meaning for truth. The absolute one. Now you gotta admit people, if Jesus is saying, I am the absolute one, I am the certain one, I am the defining one, it's pretty arrogant, pretty crazy, unless he is.

41:00 And Jesus said that he is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Jesus gave all the Old Testament attributes of who God is to himself because he was. That very, very thing. Jesus was truth manifested to all of mankind. In Acts chapter, oh, I want to point these out. There's three things. I don't know if it's going to be on your screen or not, but paganism, for example. Paganism never claimed to have the truth. Paganism only claimed their truth Humanism never claimed to have the truth Only their truth And all of the isms I want you to think about that for a moment All of the isms never claimed to have the truth But they have their truth All of the isms including atheism, which is a religion, has their truth.

42:07 But it's not the truth. and you and I today in the 21st century in this service we're celebrating the life of Jesus Christ we look forward to his coming but let's be honest if he doesn't come back for a thousand years it doesn't matter to us he's coming back hope today but if he doesn't come back today it doesn't matter for me because I'm going to go to him how why because he said I am the truth I am the way, I am the life and no one comes to the Father but through me? Well Lord Jesus, I want you. I believe that you died on the cross. I believe you rose again from the dead. I believe these claims that you have said. Friends, listen.

42:58 Joseph Stalin, Mao, Trump, independent, Democrat, Republican, astronaut, school teacher, none of them said that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus said it. Jesus said it. You say, well, it's a pretty radical thing to say. I agree. But after he's resurrected from the dead, you've got to sit up and take notice. Acts chapter 1 verse 3 tells us this. Acts 1 verse 3 says, He also presented himself alive after his suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during 40 days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Isn't it amazing that if you were an eyewitness back then, 2,000 years ago, Jesus presented himself to us common people after his resurrection by many infallible proofs.

43:58 It means that everything that they saw, they tested and it couldn't be broken. It was a reality. It was real. Remarkable. Awesome. Excellent. Matthew chapter 24, verse 4 through 8. And Jesus answered and said to them, take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name saying, I am the Christ. He's talking about the events that after he would leave, there would be an ongoing increasing of false messiahs, false religions. and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you're not troubled for all these things must come to pass but the end is not yet. Really? Well, what's the sign of the end? Verse seven. Here's a remarkable indicator of the last days. For ethnos will rise against ethnos and politic against politic. Ethnos.

44:51 Jesus said in the last days, ethnic groups will war against ethnic groups. blacks against whites, whites against reds, reds against yellows. Jesus said in the last days, that's going to increase as we get deeper into the last days. And then politic will war against politic. We see that going on in our world. He said there will be famines and pestilence and earthquakes in various places, and all these are the beginning of sorrows. Jesus said all this to give us comfort when the way, the truth, and the life speaks these things to us. I'm grateful and I'm thankful, folks. He knows what he's talking about and he's telling us that we might believe, that we might have confidence. The way, the truth, and the life. and then we come to the life itself. Jesus is the life.

45:48 Again, looking at John 14, verses 1 through 6, we would do this for each of those three attributes. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. Verse 6, latter end of the verse, I am the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Wow. So remember, do you guys remember this? bumper sticker. Everybody wants to die. I'm sorry. Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die. Do you remember that bumper sticker? Everybody wants to go to heaven. Nobody wants to die. Of course, listen, of course you don't want to die. We don't want to talk about that. Somebody... Now, again, I don't know how it came about, but in the old days when I was a little kid, I remember for some reason it just stood out to me.

46:42 There'd be knocks at the door, usually on the weekend, and my dad or my mom would answer the door, and it would be a man selling life insurance. They used to do that. There was no internet. I know it's hard to believe, but there was no internet or cell phones in those days. In fact, there's only three channels on the TV in black and white.

47:03 And they would knock on your door. Think about how cruel this is. yes I'd like to talk to you about life insurance really on a Saturday it's my day off I'm trying to live life right now no nobody said that immediately people got serious because you can't talk about life insurance with that word in the back bouncing around called death life insurance is worthless until somebody dies You ever thought about that? There's the Old Testament and there is the New Testament. There is your last will and... Did you know all of these things are worthless unless someone dies?

47:57 All the promises of God written. Thousands of them. In thousands of pages. Spanning thousands of years. promises, all based upon the life and the death and the life again of one individual.

48:19 How do you fathom that? Listen, I'm not here to beat anybody up, but in your cult or your religion that you're following, what do you do about your sins? Did you know that the Christian today, and when I say Christian, please forgive me in advance, I'm not talking about the Sunday Christian. I'm talking about the real follower of Jesus. No one's got a stomach anymore for pretend Christianity. Nobody wants to know an almost Christian. Who cares? Young people today are looking for the truth as they should be. Us old people ought to be able to answer them. The truth is this. When you realize that Jesus Christ is who he is, then he's your 24-7, 365, by-the-minute God. And he's with you at all times. And he says, I'll never leave you or forsake you. He says, whatever you've done, I love you.

49:12 You come to me and I'll wash away your sins. Wow. And give you life. Jesus said, listen, do you not like how the world is going? Oh, there's murder. Oh, there's death. I agree. It's horrible. Jesus said, that's exactly what Satan intended to do. Jesus said in John chapter 10, Satan has come into this world to rob you, to kill you, and to destroy you. But I have come that I might give you abundant or eternal life. Jesus said that. What about that? Show of hands. Do you want to, listen, do you want to die and be dead? Or do you want to die and live? How many of you want to die and be dead? There's no fun in that. And you know, your own conscience knows that that is hopeless.

50:07 But how many of you, as the Bible says, as Jesus said, Paul the Apostle said, if you die, believe it in me, yet you will live forever. Hey, sign me up. Right? Sign me up. Who said that? Jesus said it. Jesus said it. Paul the apostle believed it. And Paul turns and says to the people that couldn't stand him, he says, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

50:37 Paul the Apostle said, to live is Christ, to die is gain. Every time Paul opened his mouth, same as Peter, same as John, same as Jesus, that the, we'll call it afterlife for the sake of this argument. The afterlife for the follower of Jesus Christ is the best. It's heaven. Isn't it amazing when the scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus earlier this week in history, 1,994 years ago, they said to Jesus, we know a guy who got married and he died, and then his wife married another guy and he died, and then she married another guy and he died. I tell you, by this point, Jesus should have said, that woman needs to get a new cook, or that husband needs to get a new cook.

51:34 What kind of recipe is she using here? But they're making up this story to try to catch Jesus. And I think the lie that they're concocting, it goes something into like seven, she's had seven different husbands. In the resurrection, Jesus, who will have her as his wife? and Jesus said, you guys err in your thinking. You're thinking that in heaven, we are given away in marriage like we are here on earth? He said, not so. It's not the way it's going to be. You are erring in your way of thinking. he goes on to say that God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. And he did that by saying this. This is awesome.

52:26 Jesus said, the Lord is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You guys, they've been dead for thousands of years. And Jesus said that they were alive. Now, you gotta, listen, we gotta wrap this up this morning. You've got to square this away. Jesus Christ is saying to you that those who believed in him in the past and died, their body died. Their body died. They immediately went to be with the Lord. And in the resurrection, they get their bodies back. But hallelujah, we don't get these bodies back. We get our bodies resurrected back. So what does that mean? That means this body? I'm going to get my body back, but it's not going to be, it's going to be, it's going to be 2.0.

53:14 Body. You see, wait, wait, wait. What about reincarnation? Cult thinking. the Bible teaches resurrection. Did you know that the most basic Judeo-Christian doctrine of the Bible, Old and New Testament, is resurrection? There is no reincarnation. That's a cult deal. Resurrection. I just buried my uncle at Forest Lawn. You didn't bury your uncle. You buried his body.

53:44 If your uncle trusted Jesus, he's in heaven. so in the resurrection when the resurrection happens what happened his body comes out of the ground the Bible says that's going to be something to see and we're going to be changed. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 15 that our bodies will be transformed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye. We'll have a body like Jesus. Remember when Jesus rose again from the dead? This is awesome. He rose again from the dead, and you could touch him. Remember, he rose again from the dead, and the women in the garden, they leaped upon him and grabbed him by the ankles. I wonder what they're, I'm making this part up now, This next part I'm making it up. Warning. Jack's making this next part up. When they grabbed him by the ankles and held on to him, what were they thinking? I sum it up in my mind this way.

54:38 You, Jesus, you. You got away from us once. You're not going to get away from us again. If you're going anywhere, you're taking me with you. right it just must have been so cool and uh the body being resurrected and glorified like his jesus was talking to the disciples first of all the disciples weren't even in the room i mean the disciples were in the room jesus wasn't thomas the first time jesus appears to the disciples thomas the one who doubts everything uh he wasn't there now the bible doesn't tell us where Thomas was, but all of the disciples were there. Judas had hung himself, and Thomas was missing. He wasn't hanging out with the crew. So where was he? We don't know, but Jesus appears, and Thomas isn't there, so he misses out. By the way, when you doubt, and you don't get your doubt answered, you got to get your doubt answered. You don't get your doubts answered. You're going to miss a lot of stuff in life. It's okay to doubt. Just don't live in doubt. Attack the doubt. Get it answered. Doubt's fine. Just get it answered. Make it go away. The second time Jesus shows up, the disciples are all there and they're all hanging out and they're all terrified. By the way, listen, you women are amazing. All the women, the Bible says, they're out there. They're preparing ointments for Jesus. They're going to pour all these oils and fragrances over his body. The The problem is they got to get past that tomb to do that.

56:17 But all the women, they go, they're crying, they're en route. On Sunday morning, the Bible says, for fear, the disciples were hiding. We are the apostles. Follow us. With the little halo. Yeah, just remember this. All the women were the brave ones on resurrection day. And all the ladies said to that. and the men were hiding and while they were hiding for fear the Bible says Jesus appeared to them again and Thomas was there Jesus suddenly appears and the Bible says the doors and the windows were shut and then Jesus appears I love that so was he a ghost? nope Jesus said I'm not a ghost handle me and see can you imagine? they're like touching him. And then Jesus says to Thomas, Thomas, come over here. Oh, could you imagine?

57:16 Like the principal's office. Thomas, come here. Thomas walks up to Jesus and he says, I want you to put your fingers through the holes in my hands. And he does it. Then Jesus opens his robe, no doubt, and says, now thrust your hand into the hole that's in my side. And he does it. Can you imagine the emotion of Thomas putting his finger through the holes in Jesus' hand, the holes that Thomas hoped were there, but doubt was robbing him from the reality of it. The hole in Jesus' side, that when the centurion stabbed him on the right side, piercing his lung and his heart, blood and water came out. Thomas was hoping it was there but he had to touch and see but it's my opinion that with Jesus appearing there was no more any need for Thomas to put his finger in the hole and in the side you with me?

58:20 once Thomas saw him it's like yeah okay I'm good now but Jesus no Jesus presses it I want all doubt removed Thomas here you go can you imagine? Thomas goes like this to Jesus' hands and Thomas falls on his knees and he says and it's recorded in the Bible my Lord and my God Friends, Jesus... I don't know how he does it. I don't need to know. I just know he does it.

58:53 Jesus isn't the one who doesn't play according to our rules, which I'm grateful for. I have seen Jesus show up moments before someone breathed their last breath on their dying bed, and they've been absolute wretched heathens all their life. And if I had it my way, I'd have them go right into hell. They deserve it. Don't look at me like that. You know exactly what I'm thinking. This person, what about this person who abused you all those years?

59:30 Yes, it is true. The Bible says if you offend even a child, Jesus said in the day of judgment, it would have been better for you when I'm done with you. It would have been better for you than for you to have never been born. but you will be cast into hell. God's got a special place in his heart for kids.

59:53 Maybe you're guilty of that. Maybe you're guilty of white-collar sin. It's just the numbers or the comma or the period. Or it's just the... Who knows? It doesn't matter. isn't it absolutely insane and there's nothing fair about it that for example some of these Iranian ayatollahs who at their command, Christians were shot, beheaded, or if you disagreed with his government rule as a theocratic leader, the grand supreme leader. What do you think about that? Anybody, listen, a warning, warning.

1:00:46 Can you imagine if tomorrow Trump came out and said, I'm changing the name of the presidency to grand supreme leader. What would you think about that? We're Americans. But in Iran, there's the grand supreme leader. who killed your brothers and sisters in these last several months, by the way, now we know numbers exceeding 60,000 of them.

1:01:11 What if that grand supreme leader was humbled by the work of the Holy Spirit and turned and said, Jesus, I've been wrong all this time. Please forgive me. I repent of my sin. You are God, and I'm coming to you as the way, the truth, and the life that you are, and I'm asking you to forgive me and a bomb lands on his head. And he goes to heaven.

1:01:34 You say, I don't like that. Listen, I understand what you're feeling. but God's grace is able. There's one thing he's looking for, for someone to change their mind. Isn't it amazing? God can create the universe and everything in it, but he will not change your mind. Really quick, I'm going to run through these verses. for Jesus to say that he's the life, he is challenging all the ancient world leaders who themselves believe they were the life. If, listen, there are religions, people, that when the husband dies, they bury the living wife with the dead husband. because he is her life.

1:02:30 What do you think of that? What do you think about how when the pharaohs were about ready to be sent into the afterlife, there were all kinds of things provided for them, clothing, food, money, gold, sometimes people. When Jesus says, I'm the life, that means nobody else. has got the power to give you life. John chapter 14, verse 19. A little while longer and the world will see me no more, but you will see me because I live, you will live also.

1:03:08 So how do you know you're gonna be in heaven forever, Jack? Because Jesus is. Because he lives. Next verse. John 11, 25. Jesus said to her, I'm the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. That's a great verse to use, by the way, at the hospital or in hospice to tell someone who is a believer, you're about to die. Family members, by the way, will often encourage us pastors to say, you know, can you go into them and give them some hope and, you know, kind of comfort them. Doctors said it's pretty serious. Yes, exactly. That's what we do? And you walk in there and the doctor grabs you after you go into the room. Doctor says, this guy's got like maybe a couple hours. Well, the family with hope, they're like, oh no, he's got to bounce back from this. Who's right? We don't know. What does God want to do?

1:04:07 We shall pray and God's will be done. Bottom line is this though, you've got to go up there and say, listen, Mike, how's it going? I'm not doing so good. What do you think's happening? and I think I'm dying. Yeah, you know what? That's why I'm here right now. When Pastor Jack shows up, you know you're dying. I mean, it is true. I just realized what I just said is not good for the resume. but you just lean right over and you say, Mike, listen, you're gonna be dropping dead here in a minute.

1:04:53 Do you know who Jesus Christ is? Well, I went to Sunday school. Yeah, that's great. We're not talking about that right now. Do you know who Jesus Christ is? Yeah, yeah, God, God, the Father, Son, Holy Spirit. yet? That's not what I'm asking you. Tell me who he is. okay, he's God the son, okay, good, what did he do, uh, died for me, yes, why did he die for you,

1:05:27 listen, I'm at, you know, I'm using poor Mike in the story to get into your heart right now, you know that, you need to be answering this in your head, so why the cross why did God according to the prophets why was it recorded in the new that Jesus had an appointment with the cross and what did he do for you when he rose again on the third day friends if you don't know the answer to that you don't know him Somebody wrote me a letter the other day and said, Pastor Jack, can you do me a favor? I know you'll be talking to Donald Trump today. I didn't know that.

1:06:11 I did not know that. I told Matt, Matt, check my calendar. Do I have a meeting with Trump today? I've talked to him. He's the president. That's it. you can, listen, you can say you know Jesus. You can talk to him. Bless my food. But do you know him? You've got to be able to know. But the Bible says these things have been written that you might know that you have eternal life. Back to the verses. Back to the verses. I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Woo! I love that. Next verse. for I am hard pressed, this is the apostle, between the two, having a desire to depart, that's die, and be with Christ, which is far better. And then he went on to say, or hang around with you guys. Next verse. 1 Peter 1, verse 4. Jesus Christ died for us so that we might inheritance an incorruptible, undefiled, that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. How's that? Wow. You want to talk about retirement and pension plan? Jesus is it. One final one, Acts 4. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. And that name is? Father God, we come to you today.

1:07:46 God, we pray now in the name of Jesus. While every head's bowed and our eyes are closed and we are sitting still. We don't want to be a disruption. We pray now, Lord God, for the opportunity that's going to make some people very nervous in a moment. People are going to want to leave. I pray that you'd keep them in their seat.

1:08:13 In a moment, there'll be those who are going to immediately think of excuses they've never thought of before. I pray that they would not prevail. I ask you Father God that you'd sovereignly seize the atmosphere of this room right now. Everything we've spoken is biblical truth to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ on this day. And it is your desire that people make decisions for you. Jesus said to as many as received him. To receive him. That's equivalent to the book of Revelation when Jesus said, behold, I stand at the door and knock. If you will open up, that is your heart, let me in. I will come in and be with you. Friends, as heads are bowed and eyes are closed, in a moment we're going to sing a song, but between right now and that song, you are going to get nervous. And the proof of that we know is the work of the Holy Spirit. Here's the reason why.

1:09:16 if you have never acknowledged Jesus Christ publicly, you need to do that today. Jesus said, if you acknowledge me before others, I will acknowledge you before my Father. If you deny me, reject me, I must also reject you. True faith in him acts. Faith is a verb. It's not silent and it's not invisible.

1:09:44 But you must come to him. Come to the cross. Come to the empty tomb. You need a day, friend, in your life before it's too late that you can say, I've come to Christ this day. And I'm asking you to make that decision right now. And I'm going to also ask men to grow up and be men right now. Men, let's start with you. Husbands and men, fathers. Choose Christ today. Have your sins forgiven, purpose given to your life, and be the spiritual leader that God has called you to be. God made men and he loves men. Jesus died that we all might experience eternal life. The Bible says that hell was created for the devil and his angels and he didn't want anybody to go there, but man goes there by default because they don't want God. Jesus says, come to me and I'll never turn you away. But you must come as a sinner.

1:10:37 This is the hard sell, if I have to put it in carnal terms. This is the hard sell. The only way this works is if you get up and come forward knowing that you are a sinner like Jack. you've got to come knowing that your thoughts and your actions violated the law of God, and that you're guilty, and you want to be washed clean. And don't be surprised if your depression goes away, if your anxiety goes away. Don't be surprised that when you give your broken life to Christ, you wind up finding out all of a sudden it's been put back together like Humpty Dumpty. God wants to save you, friend. but Jesus said, come to me. While we sing this song, I'm going to ask each and every one of you, courtyard, overflow rooms, wherever you may be, to make your way here and stand at the foot of this platform.

1:11:34 But you come because you've come to this moment of your life. You have no guarantee you will see the sunrise tomorrow. You'll have no second chance in life. When death comes, it is over. There is no purgatory. there is no lake, there is no waiting place. The Bible says, that it is appointed unto every man once to die and then comes their judgment. But to those who trust in Jesus Christ, they have passed from judgment to life. Will you come and get life today? Let's sing this song, and I'm going to ask you to listen to God. Don't listen to your husband. Don't listen to your wife. Don't listen to your parents or your kids. Don't listen to yourself. If you get all anxious inside with the voice that's saying, you need to do this. You need to do this now. It's because the Bible says today's the day and now's the acceptable time. Obey God and live. You make your way forward right now. Don't, don't delay. There's no need. Repeat this after me. Dear Lord, I confess you,

1:12:47 Jesus Christ as my crucified savior and my resurrected king. I give you my sins. Take my life. Make me your own as I receive you today as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.